Steel-rail coupling.



- J. 0. THOMPSON.-

STEEL RAIL COUPLING. AlflfLIGATION IIiBD JUNE 29,1908.

Patented Feb. 2, 1909.

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v awe/Mica JameS OThomp STEEL RAIL QOUPLING. 1 LPPLIULTIONFILED JUNE 29, 1908.

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JAMES O. THOMPSON, OF LINCOLN, ARKANSAS STEEL-RAIL COUPLING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 2, 1909.

Application filed .Tune 29, 1908. Serial No. 440,903.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Lucas 0. THOMPSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lincoln, in the county of Washington, State of Arkansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steel-Rail Couplings; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention has relation to that kind of railway rail-joints in which the meeting ends of the rails, having the same form as the body portions are constructed so that in or by themselves they may be united.

It is the purpose of the invention to provide improvements, whereby the ends of the rails may be spliced or joined so that there shall be a practical continuity of the same when in use, that is, so that the connection shall be to all intents and purposes uninterrupted, the bases as well as the top or head parts overlapping in such a manner that they will at the same instant equally sustain the weight of the wheels as they roll over the same, forming a union without break or interval. j

The nature of the improvements are illustrated in the annexed drawings forming a part of this specification; and while I have shown the best form in which I at present consider that my improvements may be embodied, I recognize the fact that parts or features thereof are susceptible of mechanical alterations in shape and arrangement without departing from the general spirit or scope of the invention.

Of the said drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of the invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section in the plane 33 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal central section. Fig. 5 is aside elevation of a pair of rail ends constructed in accordance with this invention, said ends being separated.

Similar characters of reference designate similar parts or features throughout the several views. I

In carrying out my invention, I cast away the upper portion of the base 1 of the member A, so as to leave but substantially onehalf of the thickness thereof which extends from side to side and beyond the end 2. I also cut away a portion of the sides of the tread ball inward to a line'flush withthe sides of the web 3, leaving the central portion 40f the tread intact and extending toward the end of the cut-away portion of the base as a kind of tenon. The basel is cut away on its upper sides, as at 5, back to an extent equal to the cutting away of the sides of the tread.

The end of the member B is grooved vertically, as at 6, said groove being of a width equal to the web 3 and to a depth coextensive with the tenon 5, leaving the sides of the tread and the upper outsides of the base projecting as at 7 and 8.

The bottom portion of the base of the member B is cut away from side to side and from the end inward to an extent exactly equal to the cutting away of the upper portion of the baseof the member A, so that the remaining portion of the base of the member B may lap on that of the member A and providing for the tenon 5 to fit into the groove 6 and bringing the surfaces of the head of both members on the same level or plane, so that any Weight brought thereon will be sustained equally by the cut-away portions of the heads of both members and leave the tread at the joint without interval or break.

In order to keep the ends of the two members in close connection and prevent their separation, I form a vertical mortise 9 in the end portion of the member B from the bottom of the cut-away part through the tread, and in cutting away the upper portion of the end of the member A, I leave a portion 10 intact, so that it extends vertically to the tread surface of the rail, and said intact part is of dimensions exactly equal to those of the mortise 9, so that in'lapping the end of the member B on the end portion of the member A, the intact part 10 in the form of a tenon will be engaged in the said mortise and thus effectually lock the two members together lengthwise making and maintaining them in position as though they were continuous and as though there was no joint between them.

Supplementing the construction and arrangement hereinbefore disclosed, I may employ the usual fish-bars commonly used on op osite sides of the webs of the rails and bolted thereto and therethrough at railjoints.

It is to be particularly noted that in my im rovements both the bases and treads or balls of the rails are overla ped in splicing, the former in a vertical and the latter in a transverse or horizontal manner. These overlapping features are important as contributing to the continuity of the rail at the joining or splicing point.

What is claimed is:

A rail-joint, comprising two members consisting of the abutting end portions of rails, one member having its base cut away on its top from side to side, the end and base being provided With a tenon extending from the top to upper cut-away surface oi the base, a Vertical tenon on the top of the out-away portion of the base beyond the tenoned end of he rail, and the other member having the end of its base cut away on the bottom, the, end of the rail being vertically grooved on its end and provided with at vertical mortise inward beyond the grooved end, whereby the end portion of the letter member only he lapped on the former and the tenons engn-gg ed with the sztid groove and moi-tise.

In testimony whereof, I m'iix my signm ture, in presence oi two witnesses.

JAMES O. 'iHUIdPSUN. Witnesses:

J. W. TnonPsoiq, EUGENE K. TORBET'I. 

